NASA astronaut Luke Delaney is scheduled to pilot the SpaceX Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, with liftoff targeted for 11:10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Delaney, a Florida native born in Miami and raised in Debary, returned to Kennedy Space Center on Saturday, Sept. 26, arriving via a NASA T-38N Talon jet to begin final launch preparations alongside his crewmates.
Roots in Florida and Path to Space
Delaney’s journey to the launch pad runs deep through East Florida. After graduating from Deltona High in 1997, he earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of North Florida in Jacksonville in 2006. Stepping out onto the former shuttle landing strip at Kennedy Space Center before dozens of reporters and photographers, Delaney reflected on watching space shuttle launches nearby during his youth.
“Coming back to Kennedy, coming back to Florida, it’s definitely near and dear to my heart,” Delaney told reporters. “I did grow up pretty close to here and got to watch space shuttle launches. And now, I’m going to get to see it from a little bit different perspective, I think, in the coming days.”
Jack Hewitt, an astrophysicist and chair of UNF’s physics department, noted the regional pride surrounding the mission. “It’s fantastic we’ve got an Osprey heading to space,” Hewitt said in a phone interview, referencing the UNF graduate. “I think Luke is going to be an inspiration to the current and future students at UNF, just being able to do this and showing what’s possible.”
Did you know? NASA astronauts enter a strict medical quarantine prior to launch—a tradition that dates back to the Apollo days. Crew-13 entered quarantine on Sept. 17 at Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Crew-13 Mission Objectives and Schedule
Delaney is joined on the Crew-13 flight by NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, who commands the mission, along with mission specialists Joshua Kutryk of the Canadian Space Agency and Sergey Teteryatnikov of Roscosmos. Following launch, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is expected to dock with the ISS at approximately 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1.
Once aboard, the quartet will integrate into the Expedition 75 crew for a multi-month science mission. “We’ve got a busy increment of science and maintenance—both inside and outside the station—and outreach as well, of course,” Watkins told media. “So we are excited to hit the ground running when we get up there.”
The operational window for the orbiting laboratory faces a boundary, with its future beyond 2030 remaining undetermined. Hewitt observed that Delaney represents a shrinking generation of flyers visiting the orbiting laboratory, noting, “It’s also kind of bittersweet that he is one of the maybe last 30 or so people that’ll get to fly to the space station.”
Broader Commercial Crew and Cape Operations
NASA continues to solidify its rotation schedule for future station operations. The agency recently announced that Kayla Barron and Chris Birch will command and pilot Crew-14, joined by mission specialists Makoto Suwa of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Arutyun Kiviryan of Roscosmos. NASA also awarded SpaceX a $946 million contract covering Crew-15, Crew-16, and Crew-17 missions, with readiness dates slated for 2027 and 2028.
luke_delaney_nasa "NASA astronaut Luke Delaney prepares for SpaceX Crew-13 launch")
SpaceX faces a packed operational slate at the Cape. A little more than 12 hours after the Crew-13 liftoff, a Falcon Heavy rocket is scheduled to launch at 11:53 p.m. Thursday from pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center for the NROL-97 national security mission, following a Starship liftoff earlier in the week.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the SpaceX Crew-13 launch?
The launch is scheduled for 11:10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Who is commanding the Crew-13 mission?
NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins is commanding the mission, while fellow NASA astronaut Luke Delaney serves as pilot.
Where did Luke Delaney go to college?
Delaney earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of North Florida in 2006.
What will the crew do on the International Space Station?
The astronauts will join the Expedition 75 crew to conduct internal and external station maintenance, scientific research, and public outreach.
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